Yom Kippur Art Projects
A special holiday for Jewish people, Yom Kippur is a time of celebration, but also of repentance, when you can seek forgiveness from God for your sins and make things right in your life as a new year begins. Prayer and fasting are a part of this holiday for adults; children who are too young to partake in such rituals can make special arts and crafts projects to help celebrate this special time.
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Homemade Shofar
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If there is any one sound that captures the feeling and importance of Yom Kippur, it is the mighty call of the shofar. An instrument made from the horn of a ram, a long blast from the shofar is issued to signal an end to the daylong synagogue services that many partake in to recognize Yom Kippur. Children can make their own version of the aged instrument using a paper plate, based on an idea from Highlights magazine. Roll the plate into a conical shape and cover it with a piece of colored construction paper. Trim the edges to give it an even appearance and decorate it with ribbons, glitter and other items. Weave a piece of yarn through the horn and tie it to create a handle.
Tzedakah Box
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The Tzedakah box is a small container that is similar to a piggy bank. Charitable donations are collected in this box and the funds are given to the poor and needy. It is kept by observant Jews in their homes. Children can make a Tzedakah box of their own using any container, like an old can of nuts, as suggested by the Free Kids Crafts website. Remove the label from the can and paint it silver (though other colors are fine, too) and trim the edges with sequins. Cut out several Stars of David from blue construction paper and glue them onto the can. Finally, cut a slit in the lid for coins so children can place donations inside.
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Mitzvah Scale & Deeds
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Yom Kippur is a time to reflect on your deeds, both good and bad, which can symbolically be placed in a special mitzvah scale to weigh them against one another. On a bulletin board, staple two halves of a paper plate side by side, several inches apart, to form two pockets. Connect them with the body of a scale made from construction paper. Have your children write down some of their good and bad deeds on paper, placing them in the appropriate pockets on the scale. To focus the children on performing more good deeds, give them art supplies and have them create drawings of nice things they can do, such as sharing with their siblings, helping out around the house, and cleaning their rooms.
Jewish Calendar
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The Holiday Spot website suggests having kids make a special Jewish calendar to give to their parents as Yom Kippur presents. Using a blank calendar template, have your children fill in the days using both Roman and Hebrew numerals, while also noting dates of significance to Jewish families. Kids can choose to decorate the edges of the calendar with crayons, markers, glitter and other craft items or they can draw on the back of the calendar pages so that when one month changes and the page flipped to the next one, the drawing on the back of the previous month's page is visible.
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- Photo Credit Star of David image by Konovalov Pavel from Fotolia.com
